Researchers at the State of Obesity have recently released a report (offers cool interactive map) showing that obesity is actually on the decline in 4 US states. It is within New York, Ohio, Minnesota, and Montana, where the rate of adult obesity has begun to go down in recent years instead of rising or even leveling off.
Although the decrease in obesity isn’t necessarily staggering, it is still an important milestone in the fight against the ever-rising waist lines in the United States. Minnesota, for example, reports that the rates of obesity have declined from 27.6% in 2014 to 26.1% in 2015. [1]
The state with the lowest rate of obesity is Colorado, where 20.2% of citizens are classified as obese. The state with the highest rate of obesity remains Louisiana, where 36.2% of denizens are obese – more than one third of the entire population. [2]
And while the statistics in these 4 states are certainly encouraging, it doesn’t mean the war on obesity is over. Kansas and Kentucky saw an increase in the number of obese people living in the state, and obesity is still categorized as a problem that is almost at a crisis point in the United States.
Aside from cosmetic problems, obesity can lead to cardiac issues, Type 2 diabetes, and a host of chronic illnesses that cost millions of dollars to treat, not to mention shorten the lifespan of those affected. In fact, one report by the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency says that obesity is now responsible for nearly 500,000 cancer cases each year. [3]
Almost half of the states in the United States report populations that are a whopping one third obese.
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The rate of obesity does not drop below 20% in any state in the United States according to the report, which is incredibly concerning.
The report states:
“According to the most recent data, adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in four states, 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states.”
These statistics are incredible when paired with those from 1991. During that year, no state had an obesity rate over 20% and most of the states with high obesity rates were located in the South. Now, according to recent data, the problem has spread all over the country, with even Oregon clocking in with one third of those who live there as obese.
While these reports are somewhat encouraging, it is clear that there is still a long way to go in the fight against obesity.
Sources:
[1] KARE11
[2] PerfScience
[3] Morning Ticker